


Family Ties

by Simon_says_fly



Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Genre: Adult Content, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different Powers, Drug Use, F/F, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Multi, Other, Recreational Drug Use, Smoking, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, Underage Smoking, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:27:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28708908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simon_says_fly/pseuds/Simon_says_fly
Summary: Three years ago, Danny Hebert lost everything.  Annette and Taylor were killed during a Cape battle between The Teeth and the Protectorate heroes of Philadelphia .  Irony of ironies, Danny Triggered, becoming one of the heroes that his daughter had looked up to.  He has since dedicated his life to making the Brockton Bay area better; a place that should have been safe for people like his wife and daughter.  Now, some of the villains that were a part of his wife and daughter's deaths are here in his city.  How will Danny handle the truth of what really happened on that fateful day?
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	Family Ties

Considering that the Protectorate Headquarters for the Brockton Bay area was a salvaged and repurposed oil platform from the Gulf of Mexico, the lower interior was fairly well up-to-date regarding the safety codes that Federal and State regulations had once required. The hallway the figure dressed in a brown and white costume with a stylized rabbit across his chest was quickly passing through had white bulbs that illuminated well and the corridor was free from trash and other types of clutter. Even the doorways were properly insulated to protect from any cuts and/or abrasions. 

That Danny Hebert let those thoughts fill his costume-covered head just went to prove that you could certainly take the dockworker away from the docks, but you never truly could succeed at taking the docks away from a former dockworker. It was partially that former occupation that led to his preference of the original sections of the Protectorate East-Northeast base of operations, choosing to enjoy what had been made before the world changed. The building on top of the platform was like any other structure found today… excluding, of course, the Tinker Tech force field generated to surround the several storied high-rise. Danny never felt truly safe that far up in a government building built by the cheapest contractors.

The superhero’s booted steps seemed to echo up and down the hallway. He was happy when those fur-lined footwear finally carried him beyond the central area of the structure that retained its fashion and purpose as a drilling platform and moved into one of the chambers that had been overhauled completely with a more headquarters type vibe. Even down in the bowels of the platform, especially considered the amount of Tinker Tech and the latest mundane and human made technology housed here, it felt safer. Danny’s assigned space was just an elevator ride up three floors. Within this part of ‘the Rig’ one might never even realize that they were stationed within the Bay.

It was only by a stroke of luck… as well as it only being around three o’clock in the morning that allowed the Protectorate hero to make it all the way to his office slash personal chambers without encountering anyone foolish enough to try to make conversation. Not today, anyway. No, today was the third anniversary of the death of his wife (ex-wife, but Danny would never consider Annette as anything other than his one true soulmate) and beloved daughter, Taylor. It was to his everlasting shame that he hadn’t been there to protect them, collateral damage victims of a running Cape battle between the Protectorate members out of the Philadelphia satellite PRT location and The Butcher.

Danny had not been the costumed hero then that he was now. He appreciated that the cowl that helped cut the striking silhouette he was somewhat locally famous for, which struck fear into many the heart of the villains across the city hid the redness in his gaze. Today’s date was celebrated among the Parahumans within the Protectorate, as well as the men and women that served within the Parahuman Response Teams (PRT). The general public even held some celebrations. 

Any reason for a party, as they say.

The Butcher had fallen and, in the three years since, had not returned. Not a single rumor of him slash her surviving. Even his murderous and reviled followers, the Teeth, had slipped away into the shadows and vanished. Yeah, today there would be speeches and banquets. The three Capes (Gas Lass, Vanisher and Bumblebee) that had taken the Butcher down were now hailed as the victors of the fight would be all over the news.

Yay.

Danny would follow his own personal annual tradition and lock the door, turn off his communicator and take the landline phone off the cradle. He would curl up on the sofa that Annette had picked out for their first home, the chocolate-colored fabric faded after so many years (not to mention the red Kool-Aid stain that Taylor caused), and proceed to attempt to drown away the heartache of losing his one, true love and his perfect angel, his baby girl. Everyone that needed to know knew what the plan was. He asked for so little regarding time away from being a hero. Even those that wore a metaphorical cape deserved the chance to cry.

For the next twenty-four hours, the Pied Piper was off duty.

As Danny carefully locked the door to his quarters behind him, the eight-digit code was the date he first met Annette. It was easily entered into the Tinker Tech keypad Collin had installed. Danny proceeded in removing the masked cowl and taking off the gloves and boots, he wondered again what Taylor would think of her father being a member of the Protectorate. An actual Cape. He could still remember her childlike joy regarding all things related to the heroes; the Alexandria lunchbox and the Mouse Protector backpack. Even the Armsmaster underwear… something he would never reveal to his teammate. The memories of little Taylor, back before all of the doctors and the fighting and the sadness, his daughter watching those Saturday morning cartoons that the Protectorate’s public relations office had produced, scaling down the danger and violence and the horror of what the Capes really went through, her laughing and dreaming of one day becoming the next big hero.

Would he smile his Pied Piper smile and tell her that being a hero was everything she ever dreamed it could be? Would he lie? Or would he have looked into those beautiful brown eyes and told her that Alexandria was a horrid bitch? That Eidolon was a fanatic that needed therapy? Legend was an ineffectual whiner baby? That the villains were monsters only a degree or two worse than the supposed heroes?

Oh, the irony. Danny had Triggered and become what his daughter once dreamt of becoming upon learning that his reasons for living were gone forever from this Earth was one of the truly bitter ironies that drove him to drink on this day. He’d sat there at the kitchen table those thirty-six months ago… his cellular phone in pieces on the floor due to it being smashed against the wall, where he contemplated getting that old revolver his father (may that bastard continue to rot in whatever Hell had been forced to take him) left him. How many bullets could he get into his skull before he joined his family? In truth, Danny had been only a moment towards getting up and finding that pistol when he passed out to the floor. Why, he never found out. Those that were in the know all claimed similar stories. 

Danny’s Trigger Event interrupted the thought process of suicide by knocking him unconscious.

So… Danny awoke sometime later with a raging headache and the taste of cheap scotch on his tongue. Those blessed moments where the two most precious females on the Earth were still alive in his head. He’d sat up and caught the ripeness on the air, certain that he’d shat himself. But no, it wasn’t his own body odor, but something else completely. He looked up to find the entire first floor of his home covered with rodents. Mice. Rats. Squirrels. A few beavers that had made it all the way from the Bay. Even a Guinea pig or two. Furry little animals that all watched him, their beady little eyes all staring at him. Those assorted creatures all waited for him to do… something. Anything. Danny had thought in that moment that he was insane. Maybe already in Hell himself, when he saw the beginning of his salvation.

A perfectly white rabbit.

It was a living, breathing perfect copy of his daughter’s stuffed bunny, Sir Hops-A-Lot. It was one of the first Easter presents that he and Annette had bought for Taylor. She never went anywhere without it as a child. Even later as she slowly transitioned out from wanting stuffed animals and moved into what an adolescent wanted; Taylor refused to give up on that stuffed bunny. It had been washed and bleached so many times, but she never let it go. Taylor kept it.

Danny called the rabbit to him. He begged for it to come to him… and it obeyed. The other animals all moved to create a path, a clean swath of carpet between the white rabbit and himself. He wondered later if Taylor had sent the rabbit, knowing her father needed a sign then and there. Since Scion had appeared back in eighty-three, religion had fallen on hard times. Why seek answers from some mysterious deity when there was a golden god right there you could look at? That you could touch, if lucky, huh?

He had smiled at that rabbit, now named after Taylor’s named toy – Sir Hops-A-Lot – curled up in his arms. He could almost feel his daughter in his arms – his wife looking on. Danny had used the landline since his cellphone was on the floor in pieces and called the PRT. He needed to talk to the Protectorate. If Taylor wanted him to live, then he would become the hero that she wanted him to be. 

Danny shook out those thoughts and moved over to the small kitchenette that his room provided. The bottle of whiskey was exactly where he’d left it from the previous year. He would drink several small glasses, but he was a lightweight. He’d sworn long ago to never become his father. Setting the half empty bottle down, Danny lifted the glass and looked over at the room’s corner where Sir Hops-A-Lot was sleeping.

“I miss you guys. So, so much.” He offered a toast towards where the rabbit slumbered away before knocking back the first drink of the day. He took a moment to grab a bag of chips before taking a seat on the sofa. “Computer on.” There was the telltale chime of the room’s audio relay confirming his vocal pattern before the digitalized voice of the Rig’s computer system responded. 

**Hebert, Daniel. Recognized. How may I assisted you?**

“Call Dragon.”

**Acknowledged. Calling ‘Dragon’ now.**

Danny took another sip of the whiskey as he listened to the ‘phone’ ringing. He hoped that the Guild’s Tinker would still be up, even at this godforsaken hour. She usually was.

“Daniel?” Dragon’s voice came through the speaker on the table to his right. “Is everything okay?”

“Sorry for the hour. I wanted to ask a personal favor.”

“A personal favor?” Her voice sounded concerned. It was nice to have friends and workplace acquaintances. Especially on days like today. “What cou… oh. Oh. Daniel, we agreed that this wasn’t the best use of the technology.”

“I know. Just for a few minutes. It’s today, you know.”

Dragon sighed. “I remember.”

“I need to see them, even for just a moment.” He ate a handful of chips before taking another swallow. “Please.”

“Are you drinking? Are you intoxicated?”

“Yes and not yet, though I’m off duty now. Not scheduled to be on shift till the weekend starts.”

He could hear somewhere in the background the sounds of computer keys tapping away, as well as some song that sounded way too peppy for a miserable day like today. He always marveled that the very intelligent woman and Tinker always had the latest pop craze music playing. The connection between them clicked several times, due to what Danny assumed was the extremely private Cape verifying that he was off duty.

“All right, Daniel. I have routed the holographic interface with the light projectors in your living room. There are no current requests for the application to be utilized for now, so I am bypassing your room’s security access.” She paused. “The same program as last time?”

“For my wife, yes. Please.” He blinked away the moisture that he could feel forming in the corners of his eyes. “Can we try and age Taylor another year?”

“I can.”

“You’ve got my old vids still? Can you add voices?”

“Daniel…”

“I know. I know.” He went to take another sip, but the first glass was already empty. He reached for the bottle. “You’ll add it?”

“I did.” There was a pause. “I have. You remember that the approximation of your daughter’s voice is only a best guess. There is only a sixty-three percent chance of it being accur…”

“Thank you, Dragon. I mean that.”

“I understand.” Dragon answered politely. Danny doubted the self-exiled Tinker truly understood, but then again, maybe she did. She was extremely private regarding who she really was. Danny still didn’t even know her real name. He assumed no one did… maybe Collin. Maybe. “The interface is set within the parameters that you provided previously. Basic responses only.”

“Thank you.” He repeated.

“Good night, Daniel.” Dragon almost whispered. “I hope you feel better.”

Danny didn’t respond. The lump he could feel deep within his throat prevented any verbal response. He took a deep swallow of the alcohol, enjoying the burn within his chest. He had to lick his lips several times. 

“Computer. Run Program Hebert zero-zero-one-point-one-three.”

**Command acknowledged. Running Program Hebert zero-zero-one-point-one-three.**

Danny only had to wait a moment before the overhead lights within his quarters dimmed. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness, when the three-dimensional projections of his wife and daughter materialized in the room’s center. 

Annette, his beautiful wife, was as lovely as always looking just as she had three years ago. After joining the Protectorate, he had uploaded all of the photographs and vids that he could find into his computer. He had done the same with Taylor.

Collin had been the one to first suggest that the PRT’s facial reconstruction algorithms could be synced with the holographic projection unit. With the vids and photos he had, it was just a hop, skip and a jump to create an interactive digital recreation of his lost wife and daughter. Danny knew that what the local Protectorate Tinker meant was for a smaller scale use, but Danny had involved Dragon. Between the three of them, a program that he could interact with, talk with his daughter and wife…

It had been too great a temptation to resist.

**Hi, Danny.** The ghost-like representation of Annette offered a smile. She hadn’t smiled like that towards him for such a long time, even before she’d left him. He had known that his wife was unhappy for a while. Danny should have faced their troubles head on, together, instead of hiding at the Docks. She would have lived if she and Taylor hadn’t been in Philadelphia. If they’d been in Brockton Bay where they belonged. With him.

“Hey, Anne.” He sighed her name aloud. “Good to see you.”

Other than the occasional flicker caused by the lighting system of the projector… that, plus the faint fading of colors along the figures edges, for all intents and purposes, it was his wife and daughter standing in front of him. 

Gods, but Anne was so beautiful.

**Daddy. Hey.** Taylor waved. **Why are you sitting here in the dark?**

If Annette was a near perfect representation of his wife from three years ago, seeing Taylor like this was the sweetest of tortures. Hell had nothing on what man could do to themselves. It was his daughter, but Dragon’s use of the Aging aspect of the facial reconstruction was near on amazing. The fifteen-year-old representation of Taylor caused him to fully break down and cry. Oh, gods…

**Don’t cry, Daddy. It’ll be okay.**

Oh, how he wished her words could be true… but things were never going to be okay. Never again. Not for Danny. And definitely not for his wife and daughter.

He forced a smile as he took another long sip of his whiskey. “So, what did you two do today?”

Danny listened to the preprogrammed response that the two ‘not here’ females gave, each excitedly regaling him about their ‘girls’ day’ spent window shopping at the mall, followed by a quick matinee and then a late lunch at Juno’s Bistro and Grille on the Boardwalk. It was the same story as last year… and the year before that, but he listened with rapt attention, savoring each and every detail, committing the day’s events into his memory. Every laugh. Every funny little anecdote. Every last damned bit of it.

He was pleasantly drunk and on the edge of sleep when the program wound down, a final offer of **I love you, Danny.** and **Goodnight, Daddy** sending him on his way.

…ooo000OOO*** B ***OOO000ooo…

Chhhhhirp Ring

Chhhhhirp Ring

He’d definitely turned his phone off. Phones, plural. The personal cellphone that barely saw any use, and the PRT issued one that seemed to never stop ringing. Danny attempted to tap the earpiece that connected to either device, but the movement was too much considering his precarious position on the sofa. He hit the floor. Hard.

Chhhhhirp Ring

Chhhhhirp Ring

“Damn it.” He growled as he sought to right himself from being face first into the carpet…, which was in serious need of cleaning… “I’m coming.” He called out unnecessarily. There wasn’t anyone present to hear him.

Over in the corner, Sir Hops-A-Lot was silently mocking him. Danny could see it in the rabbit’s beady little eyes. Idly, he once again considered the various recipes for rabbit stew that he could try out, but the damned creature knew that it was forever safe. 

“Stupid rabbit.” The long eared bundle of white fur continued to ignore his ire as it chomped away at the leftover vegetables that Danny had put in his bowl sometime the day or night before.

Chhhhhirp Ring

Chhhhhirp Ring

Wiping at the dried tear tracks on his cheeks, Danny picked up the cellphone directly, his Protectorate Tinker Tech earpiece nowhere in sight, only to find that the caller had disconnected. He considered muting the sound and seeing if he could catch a few more hours of sleep. It was only… looking at the clock on the microwave to see that the time was ten twenty-three. By the light coming in from the window, the man that Brockton Bay knew at the Pied Piper calculated that sleep came at approximately seven this morning. He’d barely had a little over three hours to rest.

And besides… he was off today.

Chhhhhirp… 

Danny pressed his thumb on the green button. “Yeah?”

“Pied Piper.” Deputy Director Kevin Renick’s voice sighed into Danny’s ear. “Sorry to ignore your request for time off. I wouldn’t call unless it was necessary. There is a possible Endbringer attack upcoming on the Australian continent within the next three hours.”

“An Endbringer?” Danny tried to remember the last time there had been an Endbringer sighting regarding a potential attack. It had to have been over a year or two ago. They’d stopped their attempts at destroying humanity not to long after the Triumvirate’s battle with Scion. “You’re kidding me. Which one?”

“Simurgh.” The city’s PRT second in command offered. “You knew about the program Dragon and Armsmaster created that potentially tracked their locations. Behemoth is still believed to be hibernating below the North African continent. Leviathan was last recorded deep in the Pacific off the coast of Antarctica. Simurgh was drifting, as usual, but a change in altitude has everyone watching.”

Danny sighed. “Of course. Any thoughts as to a landing?”

“Australia is the current guess.” Renick offered. “Though one of the island chains north could just as easily be a choice.”

“I know that any Master classifications are forbidden, so I’m out. Who here is going?”

“For the Brockton Bay Protectorate, both Armsmaster and Mouse Protector have already signed up. Battery and Assault, as well. Since that will only leave you and Velocity, the decision was made to refuse any Wards from attending.”

“They’re letting the Tinkers go?”

“As support only. None within the immediate engagement area. Dragon is going, as well. Narwhal approved.”

Memories of talking with Dragon last night immediately came to mind. Had he interrupted the tracking of an Endbringer with his request? He definitely needed to offer her a thank you and a few favors.

“And Dauntless?”

Renick hummed for a moment. “He is actually out of the city at the moment. There is some question on whether he can reach a transport location in enough time.”

“That’s right. I remember the Time Off request.” Danny pinched at the bridge of his nose. “Probably best he not be there.”

“The Director agrees with that sentiment.” 

“What about the Rogues?”

“No responses, as of yet. We seriously doubt any will want to get involved.”

“Smart. Independents… What did New Wave decide?”

“Panacea is out. Brandish and Lady Photon refused to allow her anywhere near Simurgh. A Healer of her level is too important to let near that particular Endbringer.”

“Agreed. Are any of their team going?”

“Manpower, Laserdream and Flashbang are participating. Glory Girl, Lightstar, Fleur and Lady Photon have offered their assistance on patrols tonight within the city.”

“That’s good news.” He thought for a minute. “What about those two new guys?” 

“They are not within the city any longer. New Wave refused their applications. Thunderhead moved to Atlanta. Spy-Guy joined the Minute Men out of Philadelphia.”

“And Dovetail? Sere?”

“Neither has responded yet.”

“Good for them, I guess. Now my least favorite question…”

“The villains?”

“The villains.” Danny confirmed.

“No word from Lung and his crew. Current Thinker predictions are that the ABB are still trying to tie up loose ends after the recent territory incursions with the Empire Eighty-eight. Neither group has had much of a show of power since last month… nor even if they were available, most have got heavy warrants out, as well. None worth mentioning would chance participation and be seen right now.”

“Great. That means they’re staying here.”

“Sadly yes.”

“Anything else?” Danny inquired. He was slowly rubbing his free hand over Sir Hops-A-Lot’ s white fur. It was calming.

“Just today’s briefing.” He stated. “You weren’t included since you’d taken the day.”

Danny grimaced. “Is it bad?”

“Nothing new. The Director’s notes confirmed that the Archer’s Bridge Merchants are no more. Word is trickling in from our informants that a new group moved into their territory and took over the drug trafficking within the blocks of the city they had previously claimed. Both ABB and the Empire Eighty-eight have held in their own territories.”

“Well, neither Mustain nor Bailey really took to leadership of the gang. They preferred using to dealing if I remember correctly.” Danny moved Sir Hops-A-Lot down to the floor so that he could stand. “We thinking this new group is gonna start a turf war?”

“Unknown at this time.” 

“Okay. Anything else important?”

“There are reports of a group of Parahuman teenagers hitting a few places. Low level robberies, for the most part.”

“Any I.D.’s?”

“Hellhound is suspected due to their use of large, unnatural creatures for the getaways.”

“Send me the file.”

“Done.” The line was filled with an awkward silence. The Deputy Director spoke softly. “I am sorry about the timing. You know that…”

“I know.” He interrupted the other man. Danny’s loss was fairly well known throughout the Protectorate and PRT locally. He was satisfied that everyone was polite enough to keep his pain out of the public’s hands. “Appreciate the thought.”

“I’m in the office until this is all over. Call in if you need anything.”

“Bye, Kevin.”

After the line disconnected, Danny moved over to the PRT issued laptop and checked the patrol schedule. Since the Wards were staying in place, he’d simply allow Mouse Protector’s decisions on their paths to remain unchanged. Velocity could provide oversight, freeing Danny up for a central spot in case of trouble, though there was little chance of that. Truces during Endbringer events were still a thing, even after those monsters had seemingly stopped coming around as often.

Still… there was always a first time for everything. 

…ooo000OOO*** B ***OOO000ooo…

Danny, now again in his persona as the Pied Piper of Brockton Bay, stood to the side of the roof while the teleporter was waiting for the last of the Parahumans that had offered to help to arrive. The arid scent of ozone tickled his nose. Portals always seemed to make his eyes water at the strange smell. No one else ever seemed to catch the scent. Danny assumed it was a quirk of being a rodent Master. Animals always did seem to have better senses, especially smell, when compared to humans.

“You sure you want to go?” He asked the shorter woman again. Mouse Protector was a friend. One of the first friends and allies Danny made once he’d finally ‘signed on the dotted line’ to become a Protectorate member. The irreverent ‘grab bag’ hero had spent days outside his quarters as she embarrassingly begged and pleaded for a mouse for an animal companion sidekick, much as Sir Hops-A-Lot was his. The black mouse that had agreed to accompany the woman was now named Minnie (after the cartoon character and co-mascot from the failed theme parks) and had its own PHO Account… one of the most watched, to date. In return, Mouse Protector had taken the Pied Piper under her wing, transferring directly to the Brockton Bay Protectorate, and taught him how to live again. She was his sometimes therapist, crime fighting companion and shoulder to cry on. Mouse Protector was his best friend and he desperately hated that she was going without him.

“We could blame it on what today is.” He offered, but she was already shaking her head in the negative. 

“No, Danny-boy. I’m not a heavy hitter, but I do search and rescue with the best of them.” She brushed her brown hair back from her face. “You keep a light on for me, though, huh. I’ll be back soon and we’ll share a slice of pizza down at Mick’s, okay?”

“It’ll have to do.” He responded morosely.

The woman dressed in near black leather armor, accents of gray here and there to break up the monotony, reached into the garish yellow-colored utility belt and lifted Minnie out. She pulled the little mouse to her chest, right where the stylized mouse emblem rested, and hugged the rodent as tightly as she could. 

“You’ll watch Minnie for me?”

“Of course.” He lifted his palm and allowed the mouse (he tried in vain to ignore the tiny mask and yellow cape that it wore) to come to him. “She and I will be waiting.”

“Thanks, Danny.”

“Of course, Helen.” He hugged the woman. The stayed that way until the teleporter yelled out that it was time to leave. “Be safe.”

“You too.”

Pied Piper stepped away from the circle that came alive with power. Approximately thirty-five Capes, from hero to villain, were congregated within. He tried to note as many of the bad guys that had volunteered as he could. For every one leaving, that meant one less that he needed to seek out tonight. He lifted his hand in response to Mouse Protector’s wave, when reality twisted inwards and with a ‘pop!’ they were gone. His nose wrinkled at the smell of burning ozone surrounded him.

Danny, along with a few members of New Wave, as well as some of the ‘in-the-know’ family and loved ones for the Parahumans that just left, all turned and headed towards the door that offered their escape from the rooftop. Glory Girl lifted off and shot towards the city in a blaze of white light. Most everyone else nodded respectfully and went down the stairwell. Upon reaching the first landing down, Danny was met by the current Ward Leader, Triumph. The Pied Piper smiled as he looked over the youngster’s lion helm and golden accents with the tight uniform.

“Sir.” He offered respectfully.

“What’s up?”

The young man fell in line with the hero, his slightly longer stride allowing for an easy if brisk pace that was set. “Sir. A few of the other Wards are upset about being restricted from participation.”

“Ah.” Danny offered. “They’re all ready to put their lives on the line?”

“Honestly? Yes. They are. We all are.” His tone held a little bit of heat. Danny could easily follow along with the teenager’s bravado. He silently wondered if Taylor would have been similar. “It’s what we have been training for, sir.”

Danny silently led him to his quarters, though he opened the doorway into the office rather than his personal quarters. It was very similar at first glance to the office he’d had while the Hiring Manger for the Dockworker’s Union. A desk cluttered with file folders and papers. On the corner were three framed photographs – one of him with Annette and Taylor, another that was of just the two of them, and then a candid shot of he and Helen at his accepting an award for saving the Mayor’s life a year ago. 

The back wall was floor to ceiling shelves that was covered in books and the odd memento and keepsake. There was barely enough room behind the desk for the chair where he sat, but it had been a gift from the DWA upon his leaving. It meant something.

“First, I’ve told you that ‘sir’ isn’t necessary. I’m Pied Piper. ‘Danny’ when not wearing the mask.

“Right. Yes. Sir. I mean, okay, Danny. Sir.”

The Master-classed hero clapped him on the shoulder. “Good. We’ll work on that more later. But as I was saying…” Danny set Minnie down on the desk. She immediately moved over to wear he had some rodent safe treats in a small bowl. “Secondly, there are guidelines that we have to follow. None of you are eighteen, yet. You still have two months, yourself, Rory.”

“I know, but…”

“You’ve had powers and have been training to safely use them for a long time now. Some of you longer than me, but I get to make my own choices, while the Wards are stuck following orders that someone else is making. Right?”

“Yes, sir. Danny.” He sat in the chair that was offered. It always surprised Danny how well built the furniture on the Rig was. The Ward’s rust colored armor appeared heavy enough to crush the wooden seat, but it held. 

“A few years ago… if an Endbringer alarm had sounded, the Wards would’ve maybe been given a chance to attend.”

“Exactly.”

“But.” Danny held up a hand to prevent the younger hero from speaking further. “And this is a big ‘but’ to think about, Simugh’s attacks are more insidious than the other two.”

“I know that, sir.”

“You do, huh?” Danny removed the cowl and ran his hand through his thinning hair. “You remember Miss Militia?”

“Of course, sir. But I…”

“But you’d never let the potential death of a few innocent civilians… kids, in fact, you’d be able to let them die when ordered to evacuate?”

“Yes.” He said resolutely. Danny arched an eyebrow as the young man refused to meet his gaze. “That is… I mean, orders have to be followed. I’d definitely… that’s to say that… well, you know…”

“Let me save you before you reach China, son.” He offered with a smile. “Miss Militia did what just about any hero worth their salt would have done in her place. She risked everything to get into that school and save as many of those children as she could.”

“She almost made it.”

Danny nodded. “Yeah. Physically, she made it outside the quarantine zone before her armlet blew. You’re right about that. But look at the bigger picture. That last kid was put right back into the zone. We can’t make exceptions.” He sighed heavily. “And Miss Militia? Hannah? She’s now under twenty-four hour watch at the Asylum in Philly.”

“She’s getting better, though. Right?”

“Sure.”

“You’re saying she’s not?” Rory asked. 

“I’m not commenting on her health status one way or the other. It is not my place and there are laws that prevent us from legally discussing it anyway. What I ‘am’ saying is that an Endbringer fight is not something anyone not legally an adult should be involved in. Hell, I’m an adult and I don’t want to be involved.”

“But we’re heroes.”

“Yes, we are. You are.” He offered another smile. “A damn good one. I will be proud to stand next to you, but there are other fights we need you for. The Nine are out there still. The gangs in the cities across the Eastern Coast are gaining members. We’re getting outnumbered. The Machine Army is slowly gaining ground. The Elite seem to be taking over the West Coast. Let others deal with the Endbringers.”

“But, sir.”

“For now.” Danny conceded. “They come around so sporadically now. Maybe another one will show up in a year or two. You will get some experiences under your belt. We’ll need you for the next fight. There’s always a next fight, Rory. Always.”

“Yes, sir.” He finally nodded.

Danny turned and picked up his ex-wife’s flute from the shelf behind his chair, one of the few mementos he had held on to after he’d been forced to clean out hers and Taylor’s apartment down in Pittsburgh. He often laughed to himself that he was called the Pied Piper but couldn’t play a note worth listening to on the instrument the character was famous for playing. Taylor would have loved the irony.

Swinging the instrument around as he talked, Danny stood from behind his desk. “I saw that you’re on Console duty tonight?”

“I am.”

“Well, as the senior Protectorate member in the city for the moment, I’m making the executive decision to have you out with me. We can get someone else to keep the phone lines open.”

“Are you sure?” That Triumph’s voice was so hopeful; Danny tried not to laugh at the teenager’s plight. “That’ll upset Mouse Protector.”

“Eh. She’ll get over it.”

“If I could, I’d recommend…”

“Not Vista.”

The younger man paled visibly. “Gods, no. Not Vista. Last time she got pinched to do extra Console duty she about murdered everybody the next day during training. Clockblocker still whimpers whenever she gets upset at him.”

Danny laughed then. A real laugh. “Fine. We’ll let Browbeat do it. He’s still under probation for that stunt with the radio interview. This’ll be a good punishment.”

The Ward smiled. “Good idea. Thank you, sir.”

“I told you not to call me sir.”

“Yes, sir.” He offered a smile. “Danny.”

…ooo000OOO*** B ***OOO000ooo…

Danny looked over the skyline of Brockton Bay. He noted that with his position standing on the building’s edge, it was the perfect setup for one of those cheesy, noir detective novels. The ones that Annette used to enjoy reading. He had constantly made fun of the literature professor that read those dime store books. Danny could almost write the opening. 

‘The night was dark. A heavy blackness that almost drowned the unsuspecting denizens that were forced to walk through its dry dampness, scurrying along their chosen pathway to get from work to home, or the opposite. The inky weight of tonight was only intermittently disturbed by the occasional glare of glowing neon, most often proclaiming the illicit entertainment of women too hard on their luck to care that the only way to earn a living wage in the city was without any clothes on.’

Yeah. That sounded like the beginning of one she’d be hard pressed to put down. It was too bad that such a ridiculous opening was so close to the truth in this city. He moved his eyes away from the streets below and turned upwards, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stars hidden somewhere high above. It was sad to think that if there was a shooting star seen tonight, it would actually be a flying Parahuman instead of a star to make a wish by.

“Do you think the Triumvirate are there?” At Danny’s inquisitive look, Triumph clarified his question. “Australia, I mean. To fight Simurgh.”

Moving over to the north facing side of the building, the older of the two called upon his power and connected with the rats that seemed to be everywhere around them. He tried to get a proper sense of what they were seeing, trying to catch a glimpse of any wrongdoings currently happening, but the city was unusually quiet. Maybe that an Endbringer had made an appearance was enough to keep the less savory element of Brockton Bay inside tonight. It also gave the Pied Piper a moment to consider how best to answer.

Danny turned to look at the Ward accompanying him tonight. He made sure that his earpiece was not transmitting.

“Alexandria might be there. She sometimes shows up to the big fights.” What he left unsaid was that no one had any idea of what the powerhouse considered worth her time anymore, now that she and the other two members of the Triumvirate had retired. That she had been a no-show the last time the Nine had made an appearance in North America was still a sore point for many Protectorate members that had trained under her. “An Endbringer might do it.”

“What about Legend?” He persisted. “Or Eidolon?”

“Legend should be there. He was the one that drove off Leviathan the last time it made landfall. He’s never let us down.” Danny kept his gaze outwards. “Eidolon… probably not. He’s only been seen the once since the Scion fight... and that was just for a moment.”

“Was he really hurt that bad?”

“I don’t know.” The older hero admitted. “He’s thought to be the one to finally defeat Scion there at the end. Causing the Golden Flash that covered the entire world… so who actually knows what killing a god does to you. Or whatever he did to Scion. I just know that he’s considered the greatest of the Parahumans for what he did. If he never does another thing ever, he’s done his part.”

“So, you’re a believer? That Scion was bad?”

“I…” Danny paused as he considered the best way to satisfy what the teenager was wanting. How do you explain that this world was meant for humanity to rule? A golden god from the heavens wasn’t needed, nor wanted. “I don’t know. Scion seemed a hero at the beginning. Later, though, he came across more… alien. Wrong, I guess. He’d pass over a village in Hawaii trying to escape a volcano so that he could pull a kitten from a tree in Chile, so I don’t have a good answer. I like to think that smarter people were needed to make that decision. Much smarter than me, anyway.”

“I grew up thinking that Scion was the savior of our world.” Rory admitted.

Nodding, Danny could understand the sentiment. He’d had hope like that once, too. Looking upwards towards the sky, he wished again that the lights of the city were less bright, allowing for the stars of the heavens above to be seen. Danny missed looking at the stars with his daughter. Kissing his wife under the moon. 

Simpler times. 

“Maybe he was. Maybe he was supposed to be.”

“That’d make the Triumvirate the bad guys then.”

Well, that was a conversation that usually waited to be broached until the Ward was in the first year of their Protectorate membership. Talked about over several alcoholic drinks and no work the next day. Danny considered the best way to move the discussion into safer topics, when he was saved by Browbeat’s voice coming though his issued earpiece.

“Location, Pied Piper? Over.”

Danny lifted his hand to his ear. “Pied Piper here. Triumph and I are at Fourteenth Street and Main. Brockton Bay First National Bank, rooftop. Go ahead, Console. Over.”

“Roger that, Pied Piper. Patrol Team Three has reported encountering some gang pushback along the Boardwalk. I’ve moved Patrol Team Two to back them up, but they’re ten minutes out. Do you wish to approach? Over.”

The Wards on Team Three are Clockblocker and Aegis. Team Two had Vista and Gallant... and Gallant meant Glory Girl was probably nearby. Four Wards of their caliber and the New Wave heavy-hitter shouldn’t need babysitting. Especially not him. Danny wondered why the need to inform him of their positions. It was even more puzzling when you considered that his position was almost twenty minutes from the Boardwalk.

“Negative, Console. Remain in contact and keep me apprised. Over.”

“Roger, Pied Piper. Console out. Over.”

Danny looked at Rory. The Ward leader seemed puzzled, too. “You get the feeling something’s up?”

The Golden Lion headed hero nodded. “Yes, sir. Browbeat is good at maintaining calm as Console. He wanted you to know that something was wrong without telling you that something specifically was wrong.”

“Agreed. Let’s head that way. Double time.”


End file.
